Cover not available

Article published In: Narrative Inquiry
Vol. 26:1 (2016) ► pp.88–107

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
authorization required

Narrative integration of identity following trauma Life-stories of immigrants granted asylum in Australia following prolonged detention

Published online: 20 December 2016
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.26.1.05wit
Drawing on narrative theories of personality this study proposed a model of narrative integration to explain how traumatic experiences are incorporated within the self-construct. A qualitative design was employed, using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of interview data. The sample included former asylum-seekers now living in Australia after spending two years or more in mandatory detention centers. Ten males aged between 19 and 51 recalled their experiences of mandatory detention within the context of their lives. Findings supported the use of the proposed model of narrative integration for understanding trauma associated with mandatory detention. Thematic analysis revealed disturbances to people’s narratives as a result of detention, with attempts to adapt to narrative disturbance adhering to constructs outlined in the model. Three groups representing different levels of narrative integration were identified using the model, including: robust integration, limited integration, and fragmentation. This study extended the narrative approach by offering a conceptual framework for assessing narrative integration following a traumatic event. Findings suggest scope for further research applying the model of narrative integration to other trauma populations, and exploring the utility of the model in a therapeutic context.
References (35)
Bauer, J., McAdams, D., & Pals, J. (2008). Narrative identity and eudemonic well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 91, 81–104. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Berg, B. (2004). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Person Education Inc.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Borden, W. (1992). Narrative perspectives in psychosocial intervention following adverse life events. Social Work, 371, 135–141.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bruner, J. (1986). Actual minds, possible worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Conway, M., & Holmes, A. (2004). Psychosocial stages and the accessibility of autobiographical memories across the life cycle. Journal of Personality, 721, 461–480. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Conway, M., Singer, J., & Tagini, A. (2004). The self and autobiographical memory: Correspondence and coherence. Social Cognition, 221, 491–529. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Crossley, M. (2000). Introducing narrative psychology: Self, trauma and the construction of meaning. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dimaggio, G. (2006). Disorganized narratives in clinical practice. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 191, 103–108. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gergen, M., & Gergen, K. (2006). Narratives in action. Narrative Inquiry, 161, 112–121. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grossbaum, M., & Bates, G. (2002). Correlates of psychological well being at midlife: The role of generativity, agency and communion, and narrative themes. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 261, 120–127. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hester, R. (2004). Early memory and narrative therapy. Journal of Individual Psychology, 601, 338–347.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lysaker, P., & Lysaker, J. (2006). Psychotherapy and schizophrenia: An analysis of requirements of an individual psychotherapy for persons with profoundly disorganized selves. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 191, 171–189. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McAdams, D. (1988). Power, intimacy, and the life story. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (1990). Unity and purpose in human lives: The emergence of identity as a life story. In A. Rabin, R. Zucker, R. Emmons, & S. Frank (Eds.), Studying persons and lives (pp. 148–200). New York: Springer.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McAdams, D., de St. Aubin, E., & Logan, R. (1993). Generativity among young, midlife, and older adults. Psychology and Aging, 81, 221–230. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McAdams, D. (1996). Personality, modernity, and the storied self: A contemporary framework for studying persons. Psychological Inquiry, 71, 295–321. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McAdams, D., Hoffmann, B., Mansfield, E., & Day, R. (1999). Themes of agency and communion in significant autobiographical scenes. Journal of Personality, 641, 339–377. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McAdams, D. (2001). The psychology of life stories. Review of General Psychology, 51, 100–122. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McAdams, D., & Bowman, P. (2001). Narrative life’s turning points: Redemption and contamination. In D. McAdams, R. Josselson, & A. Lieblich (Eds.), Turns in the road: Narrative studies of lives in transition (pp. 3–34). Washington, DC: APA. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McAdams, D. (Ed.). (2006). The person: A new introduction to personality psychology. New York, NY: Wiley.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McAdams, D., & Pals, J. (2006). A new big five. Fundamental principles for an integrative science of personality. American Psychologist, 611, 204–217. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McLean, K., & Pals Lilgendahl, J. (2008). Why recall our highs and lows: Relations between memory functions, age, and well-being. Memory, 161, 751–762. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Neimeyer, R. (2004). Fostering post-traumatic growth: A narrative elaboration. Psychological Inquiry, 151, 53–64.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Niemeyer, R., Herrero, O., & Botella, L. (2006). Chaos to coherence: Psychotherapeutic integration of traumatic loss. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 191, 127–145. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pals, J., & McAdams, D. (2004). The transformed self: A narrative understanding of post-traumatic growth. Psychological Inquiry, 151, 65–69.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pennebaker, J., & Seagal. J. (1999). Forming a story: The health benefits of narrative. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 551, 1243–1254. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
People’s Inquiry Into Detention. (2006). We’ve boundless plains to share: The first report of the people’s inquiry into detention. Melbourne, VIC: ACHSSW.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pillemer, D. (1998). Momentous events, vivid memories. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Polkinghorne, D. (1988). Narrative knowing and the human sciences. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Singer, J., & Salovey, P. (1993). The remembered self: Emotion and memory in personality. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Singer, J. (1995). Seeing one’s self: Locating narrative memory in a framework of personality. Journal of Personality, 631, 429–457. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Singer, J., & Bluck, S. (2001). New perspectives on autobiographical memory: The integration of narrative processing and autobiographical reasoning. Review of General Psychology, 51, 91–99. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Singer, J. (2004). Narrative identity and meaning making across the adult lifespan: An introduction. Journal of Personality, 721, 437–459. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Singer, J., & Rexhaj, B. (2006). Narrative coherence and psychotherapy: A commentary. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 191, 209–217. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sultan, A., & O’Sullivan, K. (2001). Psychological disturbances in asylum-seekers held in long-term detention. Medical Journal of Australia, 1751, 593–596. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (3)

Cited by three other publications

Sherif, Bafreen, Debbie C. Hocking, Susan Rees, Letizia M. Affaticati, Suresh Sundram & Claire J Standley,
2025. A systematic review of qualitative research on the physical and mental health impacts of immigration detention on asylum seekers and refugees. PLOS Global Public Health 5:10 ► pp. e0005196 ff. DOI logo
Camia, Christin & Rida Zafar
2021. Autobiographical Meaning Making Protects the Sense of Self-Continuity Past Forced Migration. Frontiers in Psychology 12 DOI logo
Lockyer, Sue & Leah Wingard
2020. Reconstructing agency using reported private thought in narratives of survivors of sex trafficking. Narrative Inquiry 30:1 ► pp. 142 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 28 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue